Apparatus and method for reminding, prompting, or alerting a patient with an implanted stimulator

A method for prompting a patient to interact with a therapy device implanted in the patient, the method comprising:

• determining, in a processor, if the patient should interact with the therapy device based on a prompting event selected from the group comprising:
• the implant requires charging, the implant requires maintenance, or it is time to prompt the patient to manually activate the implanted therapy device to deliver a therapeutic dose;
• and
• delivering a patient-detectable prompting stimulation from the implanted therapy device when the processor determines that the patient should interact with the therapy device, wherein the patient-detectable stimulation is different from a therapeutic dose for the implanted therapy device.

A vagus nerve stimulation system that prompts a patient to interact with the system, the system comprising:

• an implantable neurostimulator configured to electrically stimulate a vagus nerve of the patient to deliver a therapeutic dose;
• and
• a processor, wherein the processor is programmed to:
• determine if a prompting event has occurred, and
• trigger delivery of a patient-detectable prompting stimulation from the neurostimulator when the processor determines that the patient should interact with the neurostimulator, wherein the patient-detectable stimulation is different from the therapeutic dose.

A vagus nerve stimulation system that prompts a patient to interact with the system, the system comprising:

• an implantable neurostimulator configured to electrically stimulate a vagus nerve of the patient to deliver a therapeutic dose;
• and
• a processor in communication with the neurostimulator, wherein the processor is programmed to:
• determine if the patient should interact with the neurostimulator based on a prompting event selected from the group comprising:
• the implant requires charging, the implant requires maintenance, or it is time to prompt the patient to manually activate the implanted neurostimulator to deliver the therapeutic dose, and
• trigger delivery of a patient-detectable prompting stimulation from the neurostimulator when the processor determines that the patient should interact with the neurostimulator, wherein the patient-detectable stimulation is different from the therapeutic dose.

A vagus nerve stimulation system that prompts a patient prior to providing a scheduled therapeutic dose, the system comprising:

• an implantable neurostimulator configured to electrically stimulate a vagus nerve of the patient to deliver a therapeutic dose at a dosing schedule;
• and
• a processor, wherein the processor is programmed to:
• determine if the neurostimulator is scheduled to deliver the therapeutic dose within a predetermined reminder time period from a current time, and
• trigger delivery of a patient-detectable prompting stimulation from the neurostimulator when the processor determines that the therapeutic dose will be delivered within the predetermine reminder time period, wherein the patient-detectable stimulation is different from the therapeutic dose.